


Grounded to Their Faith

by bleedinglight



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Alternate Universe - Final Fantasy XIII, Angst, Etro/Bhunivelze mythos, Fictional Religion & Theology, M/M, some violence
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-07
Updated: 2020-01-07
Packaged: 2021-02-27 08:08:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 5,131
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22153774
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bleedinglight/pseuds/bleedinglight
Summary: Their paths were never meant to cross, but it did anyway. Now, they must deal with the consequences.
Relationships: Vanitas/Ventus (Kingdom Hearts)
Comments: 2
Kudos: 23





	Grounded to Their Faith

In the beginning of time, gods and goddesses were revered. They were the ones who gave life to the world they lived in; they were the ones whom they owed their very souls to when they died. Sacrifices were often granted to these deities to appease them, to give humanity a little longer to live. Failure to do so would bring about destruction to villages, no matter how big or small.

Sacrifices were a necessity.

Stories claimed that when the people began to adapt and generations began to veer away from these deities, the gods and goddesses punished them in the cruelest way they can think of.

Corrupt.

Punishments thrust upon the sinners.

They were to hold their sins in their hearts that would grow heavy overtime with guilt until it would turn them into something hideous to show the world what their punishment would be. Corrupt. Monsters. People who were once human but turned into creatures of despair and devastation.

As more Corrupt began to appear, the people had no choice but to turn back to their deities in hopes of salvation. They prayed and prayed for the Corrupt to be stopped, that their faith shall always be with the gods and goddesses that had given birth to them. Churches were formed and built, cults being born in response to the turmoil that had spread through generations in hopes that the sins of their ancestors would finally be appeased and they would be granted salvation. Societies gathered to do everything in their power prevent anything like the Darkness from spreading again.

To prevent more Corrupt.

The Church of Etro had risen up.

The Cult of Bhunivelze was created.

But despite the threat of Corrupt looming over their shoulders should they fail to acquiesce such powerful beings, there were those who continued to defy them. There were those who believed that their lives should not be dictated by the deities who ruled humanity through threat and fear, but rather be free to choose their own lives without the gods and goddesses interfering. They desired a life free of the chains that bind them.

But every action have consequences.

Some even worse than the fate of becoming a Corrupt.

\---

It all started off with a bang.

The Cathedral of Ereshikgal was alit with flames that exploded into the sky like fireworks in the middle of the night. It had woken up many people from their slumber, forcing them to stumble out of their homes. Many of them stared in horror. Shouts and screams filled the air while others came quick, trying to douse the flames before it would begin to spread. People gathered onto the streets, some there to stare in horrid fascination and others trying to lend their hand in putting out the fires.

It was a disaster.

Ventus watched the chaos from the shadows of the alley. He could practically feel the burning heat permeate from the burning Cathedral. It made his skin feel clammy, the first few beads of sweat beginning to drip from his temples from the heat itself. The flames were strong, a torch in the sky that filled it with smoke and ashes. It made it hard to breathe with how thick the smoke was, causing him to cover his mouth with the sleeve of his robes.

People called it to be the attack of heretics.

The attacks had been escalating more and more nowadays. Heretics. Rebellions. The words end up being the same after a while and Ventus knew that it was only just beginning.

They were trying to start a war with the gods, after all.

Corrupt had begun to fill the streets not long after the explosion. The only signs that these people had gone against the teachings of Etro and were being divinely punished for it. As soon as they did, the guards were quick to enter the scene, bullets flurrying to kill the Corrupt before they killed any innocents. People ran from the scene in terror, almost tripping over themselves in utter fright. The Corrupt often came in numbers, the same numbers of those who had set the Cathedral on fire and were forced to deal with the grim consequences of their actions, forced to slaughter anyone who stood in their way.

This was the gods’ way of telling them that they were always being watched.

Always being judged.

Ventus quickly stumbled out of the way as people ran down the alley he was in. The Corrupt were quick to follow and Ventus barely had time to react before one had him against the wall. The sudden impact left him breathless, the wind knocked out of his lungs. He could feel the fiend’s claws just barely grazing his neck while its heavy palm was firm against his chest, pressing down on it as if it was trying to decide whether or not it should crush him. He peeked up into its eyes.

Black, soulless. Nothing but the thirst for blood swimming in dark depths that had lost all of its humanity.

Before the Corrupt can finally make its decision, a blade suddenly pierced through its head. Ventus could feel air returning to his lungs as he slacked against the wall, panting softly. But even he didn’t have time to catch his breath when fingers wrapped tightly around his wrist and dragged him away as more Corrupt began to make their way towards them. Ventus blinked, taking in the sight of a young man with jet black hair.

And that was how two paths met.

\---

His name was Vanitas, Ventus learned, a few days after the whole incident at the Cathedral.

He had been visiting Orphan when the explosion went off at the Church of Ereshikigal. It was an unfortunate coincidence, but fortunately, Vanitas was formerly a part of the Corps from Cocoon so he was used to dealing with Corrupt.

As a token of gratitude, Ventus offered to show him around the city, easily sidestepping the closed off perimeters of the destroyed church. There were still people lingering around the destroyed cathedral, phones out taking pictures and sharing it on whatever social media existed. It was a sad sight, honestly.

One Vanitas commented aloud.

“Must be really shocking for the people to see such a revered building taken down,” he told Ventus when they sat in a park for lunch, a shared box sitting between them. The park was quiet, filled with only a few people who didn’t pay them too much attention. “It was only a matter of time before those heretics got to it.”

Ventus was quiet, playing with the straw in his drink.

“What do you think of it?” he decided to ask instead. “Why would those heretics destroy a church when they knew of the consequences?”

Vanitas glanced over at him, a quiet amber filled with something that Ventus couldn’t recognize.

Then his lips pulled up into a smile.

“Who knows. Maybe they just don’t like the deities or maybe they don’t want their lives to be dictated by a force that only knows how to take and not give.”

For a moment, they stared at each other.

And Ventus knew as did Vanitas by the way his smile widened.

“Thanks for showing me around,” Vanitas said as he stood up, clapping his hands together to clean them from any crumbs. “Let’s hope we don’t meet again.”

Ventus didn’t say anything as he watched Vanitas walk away.

As he did, he felt a burning in his chest that had him reaching up to grip his shirt tightly until his knuckles turned white.

\---

L’cie.

Vanitas had heard of them before. He knew what they represented. They were meant to be servants of the deities that ruled their lands, the ones that made the laws that forced people to revere them. The l’cie were created to keep those people in line. Blessed with the power of the gods, they were given a drive—a Focus—that would dictate the rest of their lives. Each l’cie held a different Focus, but the results were still the same.

They were revered.

They were given the chance to be personal servants of the deities.

No one knew how they were chosen, but once they were, there was no turning back. So they were given high ranks within various churches that were spread throughout Pulse, granted positions within military groups in compliance to whatever Focus they were given.

They were also a pain in his ass.

Vanitas was never one to really care much about the l’cie he had worked with in the past when he used to run with the Corps. The Corps were grateful to these l’cie despite knowing that having one in their ranks could either mean a death sentence or a salvation. He just knew that they possessed something special that other people didn’t. The ability to tap into the powers of the gods and wield their power as if they were nothing but toys never suited well with him. But that was also what made them dangerous, he knew. When Vanitas finally grew out of his loyalty for the Corps (and by extension, the Church of Fenrir), he defected to the Vermilions.

He grew tired of fighting for ghosts that dictated their every action.

But killing a l’cie was far from simple.

Even with his training in the Corps, Vanitas knew he wouldn’t be able to touch them even if got within one foot of them. Even a sniper would have difficulty. Vanitas was forced to watch with an air of impatience as the l’cie he was watching stepped into the Cathedral of Palamecia. Unlike the Cathedral of Ereshkigal, he can’t just waltz in and smite the place. Palamecia was unlike Ereshkigal; the goddess was considered to be a child of Bhunivelze and because of that, higher than Etro. It was more heavily guarded and he was sure some of his old ‘friends’ from his days in the Corps would recognize him, guarding the place.

Which meant that it would be nigh impossible just to even get clear.

He tapped his finger against the table, feeling his patience slowly wearing thin.

“Is this seat taken?”

Now _that_ was a familiar voice.

It had Vanitas looking up, almost squinting when he recognized those sea-green eyes and blond hair.

…What was he doing here?

“Go ahead.” Vanitas waved a hand. “It’s not as if I dictate it.”

The blond’s lips tilted into a smile and he took a seat from across Vanitas.

“So…what are you doing here?”

“I’m visiting,” the blond answered, fixing his shirt a bit. Vanitas can’t help but scrutinize him. He wasn’t expecting to see him here, not after he was sure that he understood what Vanitas did back in Orphan. As if realizing Vanitas was trying to figure him out, the blond chuckled. “Don’t worry. I’m not going to rat you out or anything like that.”

“Why?”

“…Maybe because I wanna see how far you manage to go.”

It wasn’t a good enough reason but Vanitas didn’t want to keep pushing. If they kept talking like this, no doubt that it might venture to a topic he wanted to avoid.

So, he moved on. “I never did get your name despite us spending a few days together.”

“Oh!” Something flickered in those eyes. “Sorry. My name’s Ventus. Ven for short.”

“Ven, huh?” Vanitas repeated the name slowly. He liked it. “Kinda far to travel all the way here from Orphan. Eden’s kinda far, you know.”

Ventus gave him an amused look. A kind of sparkle in his eyes that made it shine like jewels. “I can say the same to you. Are you here for another job?”

“…Something like that. You know, I took you as someone who was one of them. Didn’t think you’d be here trying to encourage me. Not exactly a good look on you.”

“There are worse looks to have.”

Oh, he was really beginning to like this boy. Vanitas didn’t know if he would keep seeing him, but there was something about him that Vanitas knew he liked for sure. It could be the spunk. It could be the air of mystery he kept around him. Really, there were a number of factors here, but the end was all the same.

Vanitas leaned forward, an idea sparking in his head. “Are you going to help me?”

“Only if you want the help.”

He knew he shouldn’t be considering it. He really shouldn’t. For all he knew Ventus could be someone with hidden intentions of his own. There wasn’t exactly much he knew about him, after all. The few days they spent together wasn’t particularly long enough for him to get a good reading on him. However, he also knew that he needed all the help he needed if he wanted to pull this stunt off.

“Alright.” He grinned at him. “Here’s the plan.”

\----

Sometimes he dreamed of a blinding light, a voice whispering in his ears.

Other times, he would dream of a certain brown-haired boy with sky blue eyes sitting next to him, warmth curled into the palm of his hand.

But whenever he opened his eyes, he would be greeted with a pair of gold that held more emotion in them than he ever though.

\---

“So, why did you decide to join the Vermilion?”

“I got tired of following the laws of gods and goddesses that we aren’t really sure are even there.”

“Even if it means that you’d end up becoming a Corrupt?”

“It hasn’t happened yet, right? What about you? Why are you helping me?”

“I told you before. I wanted to see how far you’d go.”

“Don’t beat around the bush.”

“…I want to see it. A world without the Laws dictating our every move.”

“So, does that mean you’re going to join?”

“Yes.”

“Good.”

_I’d be sad if you said no otherwise._

__

\--- 

More Corrupt began to appear.

It was the will of the gods. It was the judgment placed by the goddesses.

They had failed to keep humanity in check and as a result, the deities were forced to play their hand in ensuring that they remember where they were supposed to stand. That, because of their incompetence, the l’cie were forced to take drastic measures in ensuring that the rest of the churches of their world would remain safe

They turned into Cie’th.

And nothing became the same.

\---

The air was difficult to breathe in.

Every inhale sent an icy sharp blast to his lungs, almot prickling them from the inside out from how cold it was. The mountains of Kujata were freezing as expected. Few people dared to trek its ranges and actually form a civilization there; few people succeeded. Kujata was often regarded as the mountain crest of Protera, often regarded as untouchable as the blizzards that raged near the top made it near impossible to survive.

But it was also the place where the Tower of Dahaka lurked.

The world was in hysterics after the sudden surge of Corrupt. It didn’t matter who was involved. Innocents. Soldiers. Even clergymen that didn’t have a direct hand in what was happening. So many people were beginning to be turned, a testament of the gods’ wraths.

They were angry.

But as more of people turned Corrupt, more people rose up to fight against the deities as well. People were finally getting tired of being told what to do by these very same _creatures_ that created them and then began to dictate them. They were tired of being told to offer sacrifices to appease their vengeance when it would only last for so long. Eventually, it began to boil down as to whether living life for one more day was worth than living life to the fullest.

Vanitas looked over at Ventus, who seemed to be staring up at the stormy, wintry clouds with something akin to amazement. It was different from the bright blue sky they saw when they traveled through Gaia, or when they trekked through the deserts of Titan. For someone who lived only under the gloomy sky of Orphan, seeing the sky range from weather to weather must have been fascinating for them. They took a moment of respite, needing the break after they managed to climb up Kujata. The Tower of Dahaka wouldn’t be going anywhere, after all.

“What would you do when all of the gods are gone?” Vanitas decided to ask, leaning against Ventus as they bundled together for warmth. They managed to find a decent inn that provided them their own fireplace, but given how the fire was running on mana crystals, it wouldn’t take very long until it ran out. “Like…I get that people would still worship them, but without the gods breathing down your neck, what would you do? Live life like you did before?”

A soft hum and Ventus gently curled his fingers with Vanitas’, lacing them together.

Vanitas liked it.

“A world without being punished for heresy, huh,” Ventus hummed, his eyes dropping from the clouds and to the ground—to their _linked_ hands—with a thoughtful expression. “I honestly don’t know. We’ve always been taught that anything against the deities would warrant nothing but total destruction for mankind. In a way, we’ve kind of seen it with how so many people are becoming Corrupt. But I guess if all of that’s gone…”

A brief hesitation.

“I guess I’d just want to go back home.”

Vanitas’ eyebrows furrowed. “You mean back to Orphan?”

“No.” Ventus shook his head and there was something in his eyes that made his heart clench in his chest. It was a look Ventus often tended to get when he thought Vanitas wasn’t looking throughout their travels to destroy sacred places of worship. “Astral. It’s…not a place many people know about anymore. It was destroyed in Leviathan’s waves a long time ago, but…one day I’d like to go back.”

“And do what?”

“Rebuild it. Make it a home again. Maybe people would want to come—”

“It sounds like a nice memory,” Vanitas remarked when he noticed how Ventus’ voice was beginning to fail him. “Tell me about it. I’d like to hear about it.”

Ventus tilted his head toward him before his face blossomed with light.

Astral, Vanitas learned, was an old village. Much smaller than the cities they had come across. Definitely much smaller than Cocoon. It was a village that prided itself on its beautiful foliage, the way it was tucked neatly between the river and the forest. Crops were bountiful and there were rarely times wherein they had to trade with other cities. Much like many other cities, Astral worshipped a deity as well, but never to the extent others had gone. They believed that there was one deity and one only that gave life to the world they lived on. It was their belief that everything happened for a reason no matter how terrible it was.

But what stood out to Vanitas about Ventus’ tale was Astral’s use of Eidolons.

Eidolons were said to be messengers of the deities. Granted physical form to interact with those in the Seen World in a different way than a l’cie would. Even just seeing an Eidolon was considered a blessing itself from the gods. For Astral to have been able to walk with these powerful messengers as if they were an old friend, it spoke volumes.

It was a village blessed by God.

But everything reached an end eventually. That was where Leviathan came in. Angered by humanity’s negligence, it flooded the oceans and as a result, flooded the rivers. It took one tidal wave to cause the entire village of Astral to be reduced to nothing. Just debris and broken bodies.

It was a miracle Ventus was alive at all.

“If there’s one thing I’m grateful to the gods for, it’s for keeping you alive,” Vanitas told him when he finished his story.

A pretty pink dusted Ventus’ cheeks and his smile was beautiful.

“I’m grateful to them too.”

\---

It only took one kiss to change their dynamics.

Kissing in front of a burning place of worship probably wasn’t the best idea Vanitas had in mind, but he doesn’t regret it.

Ventus tasted like spring breeze and sunshine.

It was the best idea he ever had.

\---

Eventually, the secret had to come out sooner or later.

It was a careless move on Ventus’ part, his sleeve getting torn apart and revealing the brand on his right shoulder.

The shock and pain in Vanitas’ eyes hurt more than anything else ever did.

“You’re..a l’cie.”

It wasn’t even a question.

Ventus looked at him with pained eyes.

“I’m sorry.”

“I am, too.” There was a clicking of his gun. “What was your Focus?”

“Vanitas—”

“ _What was it?_ ”

Silence.

“To recreate the world.”

\---

As it turned out, the moment Ventus was revealed to be a l’cie, the dynamics changed. The Vermilion didn’t trust him, now that they learned he was chosen by the gods to be their messenger. It didn’t matter what his Focus was meant to be.

All they knew was that he was someone they couldn’t trust

Ventus didn’t blame them.

It was only through the good word of some others on the ship that prevented the leader of the Vermilion from lopping his head off right then and there. It might actually do them some good to have a l’cie among their crew. L’cie were blessed with power, after all. Being chosen by the gods, they were granted abilities no one else was able to possess.

So, they gave him an ultimatum.

Use his powers for their cause or die.

Vanitas refused to look at him.

\---

_ To recreate the world. _

Ventus hadn’t been lying when he said that to Vanitas.

Already, the world was changing and seeing the flames engulf the land was proof of that. People were hysterical. People were revolting. People were _angry_ , and they had every right to be. Their world was changing and humans didn’t adapt so quickly to change like most creatures did. Each temple or church that was struck down only gave birth to more Corrupt. Each city that became destroyed was another hunting ground for those who had to do everything in their power to just survive.

The Corps wouldn’t be able to handle it.

The Magistrate were more focused on helping themselves to help anyone else.

The world was _changing_.

And it was dying.

Ventus could hear each cry that echoed in the sky, through the sea, concealed within the breeze. Each cry resonated deep inside of him, his heart clenching in pain that it made him stagger, his vision flickering black for the briefest moment until he was forced to come to. The planet was in _pain_. Each death took a toll on it. The souls had nowhere to go after death, and the Corrupt that were killed were never given a proper burial to move on. So many dead and dying. So many people _suffering_. It wasn’t just the gods responsible for the destruction of so many. Humans could be just as cruel.

In the name of revolution, people would do anything.

In the name of gods, people would resort to drastic measures.

He could feel the frenzy around him as Bahamaut took to the sky. A regal dragon infused with the greatest magic of Anima projecting a shadow that loomed over them. No one knew what to do.

But he did.

_Live, Ventus. So that you may become the judge these people need._

_But…why me?_

_Because…you’re the only one who can do it._

A great beam of destruction fell upon them and he closed his eyes.

“Ventus!”

\---

Vanitas was sick.

He was used to carnage. He was used to devastation. But this was nothing like the revolution he had initially signed up for. The moment the others discovered that Ventus was a l’cie, he had been used as a weapon instead of as a human like the rest of them were. Sure, many of them were former soldiers or at least had decent skills useful in the battlefield. They were used to being treated like objects when it came to warfare. But Ventus was different. He was treated differently and Vanitas only had himself to blame.

The moment it was discovered that Ventus was capable of communicating with Eidolons still, capable of summoning _Bahamaut_ of all creatures, it went downhill from there. Great devastation tore the lands apart with Bahamaut’s Megaflare. People died under the great beam that only brought about death and despair in its wake. Cities were quick to turn into graveyards and as the death toll continued to rise, the more Vanitas could see the light fading from Ventus’ eyes.

That same light that made Vanitas fall in love with him in the first place.

They staged an attack on the Magistrates, hitting their Home in one final attack to end it all. To finally send a message to the gods and goddesses that _they were done being their pets_. It was all supposed to be planned and executed perfectly. There was only just one problem: Ventus.

Vanitas could see that it was wearing down on him.

Riku took him aside once and told him forcefully that the continued use of Eidolon could have a negative effect on a l’cie. That the more Ventus continued to use Bahamaut, the more worn down he would become, the more he would lose bits of his sanity until nothing was left. The Eidolons were meant to be messengers, not weapons of war. And that was what they turned Ventus into. Their puppet. Their weapon. Their _perfect little soldier_. It would be easy to break down someone’s psyche when there was nothing tethering them left to the Seen World. In the end, they would eventually wish for one thing: death.

And for a l’cie to wish for death was one step closer to becoming a willing Cie’th.

The moment he saw Bahamaut train its target onto them, he knew. He knew what Ventus was trying to do. So did the others. They ran, quick to try to escape the terrifying beam that they knew they couldn’t truly escape from. But Vanitas ran towards Ventus. He could see him standing in the distance, standing over a body he didn’t recognize but could make out tufts of blue hair beneath the pile of debris that had fallen on top. He ran. His lungs ached. His heart rammed against his chest.

Above them, the sky turned dark seconds before it began to glow red.

“Ventus!” he screamed out, desperately trying to reach for the boy he fell in love with. The one his heart longed for so desperately that he knew he needed to fix his own mistakes. That he needed to fix the damage that had been done unto this beautiful boy. He managed to grip Ventus’ arm tightly just as the powerful beam shot down at them. Vanitas clung to him, eyes clenched—

_Thank you, Vanitas._

At the soft voice in his head (was that a girl’s?), Vanitas slowly opened his eyes and found himself standing…somewhere. It was an odd world. Nothing but light around him. A sky that seemed endless above his head and the ground beneath his feet was a beautiful ocean. But his attention was taken by the weight in his arms and his eyes dropped down, realizing he was cradling Ventus in his arms.

_He has completed his Focus._

That voice again. His eyes lifted and he can see a young woman standing in front of him, dressed in pink robes with a fox mask obscuring the upper half of her face.

How odd.

“Who are you?”

The girl smiled, but it seemed sad. _My name is Ava. Your people has called me Etro._

Oh, that had Vanitas holding Ventus closer. “What do you want?”

_I wanted to thank you_. Ava’s voice had a certain lilt to it. _For helping Ventus. For helping him complete his Focus._

Vanitas clenched his jaw, golden eyes turning dark. “Is that what this is about? I don’t care—”

_I know you don’t, and that’s okay._ The goddess stepped closer, her corporeal form reaching out to the blond in his arms. _But he did. Once. A long time ago. I wanted to give him a purpose to keep moving on. After what happened in Astral, he was lost and listless. He doesn’t remember._

“Remember what?”

_That the reason why Astral ceased to exist was because of him. Because he triggered his friend’s Eidolon without meaning to. I wanted to give him a second chance of happiness by giving him a Focus to set his ways. He had already lost so much. I didn’t want him to continue losing anything more._

Vanitas squinted at her. “Why are you telling me this?”

_Because you changed his course. You helped him recreate the world. The consequences would linger, yes, but I believe that as long as you two are together, you can do it. Even without being a l’cie, everyone has a Focus. Never forget that._

As Vanitas blinked, he found himself on a hill with beautiful flowers of all colors. The wind blew down towards them as if greeting them. Blinking slowly, Vanitas looked down at Ventus, who seemed to be sleeping peacefully. He released a slow sigh and held the blond closer to his chest, relishing in his warmth.

\---

The world changed.

Whether people liked it or not, they had to change with it.

After the death of Prime Minister Xehanort, the deities seemed to have deserted its people. There were still Corrupt that lingered, left behind in the aftermath of what happened. People were trying to recreate their lives, rebuilding their cities, but this time, there were no gods to revere. No goddesses to appease. No deities to guide or dictate them. The days passed slowly as everyone struggled, trying to adjust to the sudden change in their lives. Many people spoke about seeing a great dragon ascend into the sky that obliterated the Temple of Bhunivelze. Others spoke of witnessing a great pillar of light piece through the heavens and the dragon fading within it.

Many different accounts were shared and spread through the world.

No one truly knew what happened.

And that was fine with Vanitas.

He looked over to the hill, watching a certain blond sit there. Vanitas leaned against the doorframe as Ventus gathered some flowers together, forming a crown.

It wasn’t the life he was expecting to have, but…it was a life he learned to love.

Even more so when Ventus turned to him and gave him that bright smile that took his breath away.


End file.
